ABOUT THE PHILADELPHIA FOUNDATION: One of America’s oldest community foundations (founded in 1918), The Philadelphia Foundation (TPF) is committed to improving the quality of life in the Pennsylvania counties of Greater Philadelphia (Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia). A foundation and a public charity, TPF connects philanthropic resources to societal needs. TPF manages assets of approximately $370 million and more than 900 charitable funds established by its fund holders. It distributes about $25 million annually to nearly 1,000 nonprofits as grants and scholarships, and promotes greater philanthropy and stronger nonprofits in service to community needs. To learn more, visit www.philafound.org.

STATEMENT OF EMPLOYER EXPECTATION: Each employee of The Philadelphia Foundation (TPF) is expected to contribute directly to TPF’s growth and success by advancing its mission, strategy and priorities, while adhering to the highest professional and ethical standards; to perform job duties capably and in a spirit of cooperation and collaboration; and to uphold TPF’s core values of diversity, equity, and inclusiveness.

POSITION SUMMARY: The Program Officer supports TPF’S philanthropic services, currently consisting of more than 900 funds.  The Program Officer is integral to TPF’s grantmaking for a healthy and sustainable nonprofit sector in the Southeastern Pennsylvania region. Through application review and analysis, ongoing technical assistance to potential and successful grantees, and working as a team member with other TPF staff in providing up-to-date information to donors and prospective donors, the Program Officer will ensure that TPF’s grantmaking strategies are carried out in an accessible, fair, and thoughtful manner consistent with the goals of a community foundation.

As part of the program team, the Program Officer will manage a portfolio of nonprofit grant applicants, perform due diligence and analysis, provide advice and technical assistance related to nonprofit capacity building, and youth engagement, present workshops and seminars, take on special projects and other initiatives as required, develop and manage relationships with colleagues and engage in other activities that generally serve the region on behalf of TPF.

PRIMARY JOB FUNCTIONS:

Grantmaking (70%)

• Be professional, accessible, transparent, clear and respectful in work with nonprofits seeking grants and non-financial services from TPF; initiate and maintain relationships with grant applicants, potential grant applicants, and grantees to ensure strong levels of respect and satisfaction.
• Review, analyze, and make written recommendations on grant requests submitted to TPF. Perform organizational and financial analyses of nonprofit applicants to inform recommendations.
• Provide pre-application assistance, via telephone and onsite meetings, as necessary, to organizations seeking information about TPF’s funding programs and/or to those preparing grant applications.
• Offer informational workshops about TPF’s application processes and grant review processes primarily within the 5-county region and provide other assistance as necessary.
• As part of the program team, facilitate workshops and grantee convenings in support of TPF’s grantmaking strategies.
• Make site visits to grantees to monitor progress.
• Assist in the support of the Grantmaking Services Committee.
• Serve as TPF’s representative at meetings, programs, conferences and in other public settings.
• Use technology (database, and other software) to manage caseload and to perform analysis.

Knowledge (10%)

• Perform research, gather and analyze data, and synthesize information on issues related to TPF’s grantees and grantmaking strategies.
• Provide assistance in the development, analysis and dissemination of information about the nonprofit community, issues related to the sector and regional social and public policies to a variety of audiences including TPF staff, Board of Managers, donors and the general public.
• Provide reports as needed to Board of Managers, staff and donors.

Organizational (20%)

• Identify and remain informed of communities’ emerging needs within Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties as they relate to the mission and grantmaking priorities of TPF.
• Provide technical assistance to nonprofits regarding organizational management and financial position and suggest areas for improvement.
• Participate in the review and evaluation of grantmaking processes as they occur, helping to formulate recommendations for their enhancement, as well as participate in ongoing staff discussions concerning grantmaking strategies, grants management, and technical assistance to grantee organizations; prepare reports as needed to inform staff, board and others regarding impact of grantmaking.
• Participate in organization-wide management and improvement teams, and functional committees (communications, staff retreat, etc.) and other projects or initiatives as assigned.
• Attend approved conferences, workshops, and meetings that advance TPF’s grantmaking efforts.
• Participate in activities, as appropriate and as approved, with professional associations and groups.

Other job functions may be assigned or changed by TPF. The general and specific responsibilities of the program officer position may also change periodically.

KEY SKILLS:

• Strong commitment to providing capacity building services to nonprofits; knowledge of and skills in nonprofit organizational development, nonprofit finance, leadership, and business operations.
• Mastery of analytical approaches and ability to make sound, informed judgments and evaluate different types of data as necessary to support TPF’s grantmaking strategies.
• Demonstrable skills in research and familiarity with quantitative/qualitative evaluation approaches and ability to present complex ideas and analysis of important issues to a variety of audiences.
• Demonstrated sensitivity to the power differential inherent in the funder-grantee relationship as well as the ability and the willingness to handle such relationships properly, respectfully, and ethically.
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills, especially the ability to listen well, establish and maintain authentic and professional relationships, and exercise effective and inclusive leadership in cross-cultural and multi-cultural settings. This includes an awareness of the many intersections of race, ethnicity, gender, gender-identity, class, language, age, disability, veteran status, and other social factors.
• Ability to manage and complete multiple projects, trouble-shoot, establish and act upon organizational priorities, be comfortable with ambiguity, and meet short-and long-term deadlines with a variable workload.
• Ability to work effectively in collaborative and supervisory relationships across the organization.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Intellectual curiosity.
• Bilingualism or multilingualism is a plus.

MINIMUM SKILLS/EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Education - BA/BS required; Master’s degree preferred.
• Broad understanding of and experience in the nonprofit sector, including at least 5 years of experience in the nonprofit sector that may include service to the sector.
• Substantive knowledge in one or more areas of the nonprofit sector, with an emphasis on capacity building and organizational effectiveness best practices.
• Computer skills - facility with database, Microsoft Outlook, PowerPoint, Word, and Excel. Will be required to use database to manage caseload.
• Demonstration of strong conceptual and analytical skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Valid driver’s license (car not necessarily required) for field visits and meetings.

HOW TO APPLY:

If interested, please submit cover letter and resume to [email protected].